familypediawikiaorg-20200214-history
Bel Air, Los Angeles
|subdivision_type1=State |subdivision_name1= |subdivision_type2=County |subdivision_name2= Los Angeles |subdivision_type3=City |subdivision_name3= |subdivision_type4= |subdivision_name4= |seat_type= |seat= |parts_type= |parts_style= |parts= |p1= |p2= |government_footnotes= |government_type= |leader_title= |leader_name= |leader_title1= |leader_name1= |leader_title2= |leader_name2= |leader_title3= |leader_name3= |established_date= |area_magnitude= |unit_pref= |area_footnotes= |area_total_sq_mi= |area_land_sq_mi= |area_water_sq_mi= |area_water_percent= |elevation_footnotes= |elevation_m= |elevation_ft= |elevation_max_m= |elevation_max_ft= |elevation_min_m= |elevation_min_ft= |population_as_of= |population_footnotes= |population_note= |population_total= |population_density_sq_mi= |timezone= Pacific |utc_offset= |timezone_DST= |utc_offset_DST= |latd=34.08333|latm=|lats=|latNS= |longd=-118.44778|longm=|longs=|longEW=}} Bel Air, Bel-Air or Bel Air EstatesWestLosAngelesRealty.com uses Bel Air, [http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/bel-air the Los Angeles Times] uses Bel-Air and the Thomas Guide for 2002 uses Bel Air Estates (page xvi) is a neighborhood in the Westside area of Los Angeles, California, in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. The lightly populated residential district, with an older, well-educated population, has a high income level and a large percentage of married people. Founded in 1923, the neighborhood has been the filming location or setting for numerous television shows. It is the site of the Hannah Carter Japanese Garden. Population The 2000 U.S. census counted 7,691 residents in the Bel Air neighborhood; with it has among the lowest population densities for the city and the county. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 8,253. In 2000 the median age for residents was 46, which was high for city and county neighborhoods. The percentages of residents aged 50 and older was among the county's highest."Bel-Air", Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times''l; accessed October 31, 2015. The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $207,938, the highest figure for any neighborhood or city in Los Angeles County. Renters occupied 14.5% of the housing stock, and house- or apartment-owners held 85.5%. The average household size of 2.4 people was considered typical for Los Angeles. The 4.1% of families headed by single parents was considered low for city and county neighborhoods. The percentages of married people in Bel Air were among the county's highest—66.0% for men and 65.7% for women. There were 808 veterans, or 12.9% of the population. "Veterans Ranking", Mapping L.A., ''Los Angeles Times; accessed October 31, 2015. The neighborhood was considered "not especially diverse" ethnicallyhttp://maps.latimes.com/neighborhoods/diversity/neighborhood/list Diversity "measures the probability that any two residents, chosen at random, would be of different ethnicities. If all residents are of the same ethnic group it's zero. If half are from one group and half from another it's .50.", Los Angeles Times; accessed October 31, 2015. within Los Angeles, with a relatively high percentage of white people. The breakdown was whites, 83.0%; Asians, 8.2%; Latinos, 4.6%; blacks, 0.9%; and others, 3.2%. Iran (26.1%) and South Africa (8.2%) were the most common places of birth for the 24.1% of the residents who were born abroad—which was an average percentage for Los Angeles as a whole. History The community was founded in 1923 by Alphonzo Bell. Bell owned farm property in Santa Fe Springs, California, where oil was discovered. He bought a large ranch with a home on what is now Bel Air Road. He subdivided and developed the property with large residential lots. He also built the Bel-Air Beach Club in Santa Monica and the Bel-Air Country Club. His wife chose Italian names for the streets. She also founded the Bel-Air Garden Club in 1931. Together with Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills, Bel Air forms the Platinum Triangle of Los Angeles neighborhoods.Annette Haddad, "No housing slump for super-rich - Sales and prices have never been better in the Platinum Triangle", Los Angeles Times, July 7, 2007, Geography Bel Air is situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles and includes some of the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. It lies across Sunset Boulevard from the northern edge of the main campus of the University of California, Los Angeles. At the heart of the community sits the Bel-Air Country Club and the Hotel Bel-Air. Along with Beverly Hills and the Los Angeles community of Brentwood, it is one of the "Three Bs",Bozorgmehr, Mehdi, Claudia Der-Martirosian, and Georges Sabagh. "Middle Easterners: A New Kind of Immigrant" (Chapter 12). In: Waldinger, Roger and Mehdi Bozorgmehr (editors). Ethnic Los Angeles. Russell Sage Foundation, December 5, 1996. Start page pg. 345; ISBN 1610445473; ISBN 9781610445474. Cited: p. 347. "... in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Brentwood, known in local parlance as "the three Bs."Melton, Mary. "The Stars of Star Maps", Los Angeles Times. August 25, 1996. "Each map tends to cover the "three Bs": Brentwood, Bel-Air and Beverly Hills. A few toss in a Malibu sidebar." a wealthy area in the Los Angeles Westside.Myers, David W. "A Sad Westside Story : Home Prices Have Declined as Much as 50% Since the 1980s", Los Angeles Times. May 28, 1993; retrieved July 4, 2014. "But, as Meyer's case suggests, nowhere have those losses been as dramatic as the high-priced area on the Westside known as the "three Bs"--Brentwood, Bel-Air and Beverly Hills." Climate This region experiences warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above . According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Bel Air has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Bel Air Neighborhoods Of several entrances, there are two main ones: (1) the East Gate at Beverly Glen and Sunset Boulevards and (2) the West Gate at Bellagio Drive of UCLA and Sunset Boulevard, opposite an entrance to UCLA. Bel Air is generally subdivided into three distinct neighborhoods: East Gate Old Bel Air, West Gate Bel Air, and Upper Bel Air. Attractions The Hannah Carter Japanese Garden is located in Bel Air. It was inspired by the gardens of Kyoto. Many structures in the garden—the main gate, garden house, bridges, and shrine—were built in Japan and reassembled here. Antique stone carvings, water basins and lanterns, as well as the five-tiered pagoda, and key symbolic rocks are also from Japan. Several hundred tons of local stones came from the quarries in Ventura County and the foot of Mt. Baldy, northeast of Los Angeles. Television and film Television shows and movies have been filmed in Bel Air, or are said to take place in the community. Exterior shots for the Beverly Hillbillies were shot in and around 750 Bel Air Road, built by Lynn Atkinson (and later sold to hotelier Arnold Kirkeby after Atkinson's wife refused to move into a house she thought too ostentatious). After the exterior shooting was completed, the residents of that address forbade any more filming, as passers-by would wander onto the property and ask to see 'Granny'.westsidetoday.com Exterior scenes from movies such as Get Shorty have also been filmed in the area. Several episodes of the television show The Rockford Files were filmed in Bel Air.Google Maps display of estate used in several episodes The television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was set in the neighborhood, although the exterior shots used were filmed in nearby Brentwood. The Bel Air Film Festival, first held in 2008, is an annual international film festival held in Bel Air and the Los Angeles area. Government and infrastructure The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services SPA 5 West Area Health Office serves Bel Air."About Us", Los Angeles County Department of Health Services; retrieved March 18, 2010. It lies within the 5th city council district, represented by Paul Koretz. It is located in the 90077 (Bel Air Estates & Beverly Glen) ZIP code, which is part of the city of Los Angeles. Stone Canyon Reservoir lies in the northeastern part of Bel Air. Established in 1994, it serves around 500,000 people. The Bel Air Association has been operational since 1942, dedicated to preserving the aesthetic appearance of the residential community. The Bel Air Association is located at the entrance of the East Gate of Bel Air at 100 Bel Air Road.http://sites.google.com/site/belaironline/Home/about-us Emergency services Fire services Los Angeles Fire Department Station 71 is in the area."Fire Station 71", Los Angeles Fire Department, lafd.org; accessed October 31, 2015. Police services The Los Angeles Police Department operates the West Los Angeles Community Police Station at 1663 Butler Avenue, 90025, serving the neighborhood."West LA Community Police Station", Los Angeles Police Department, lapdonline.org; accessed October 31, 2015. Education , located in the Bel Air Casiano neighborhood]] Almost two-thirds (66.1%) of Bel Air residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree by 2000, a high percentage for the city and the county. The percentages of residents in that age range with a bachelor's degree or greater were high for the county. The community is within the Los Angeles Unified School District. The area is within Board District 4.Board District 4 Map. Los Angeles Unified School District. Retrieved on November 24, 2008. As of 2009, Steve Zimmer represented the district."Board Members", Los Angeles Unified School District; retrieved September 16, 2009. Schools The schools within Bel Air are as follows:http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-la/neighborhoods/neighborhood/bel-air/schools/ "Bel-Air Schools", Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times; accessed October 31, 2015. Public * Roscomare Road Elementary School, 2325 Roscomare RoadSavage, David G. ""Many Minority Students Back in Their Old Schools", Los Angeles Times. April 11, 1982. San Diego County SD1; retrieved March 23, 2010. "... and talkative black girl, rode a school bus from her home west of down- town Los Angeles to Roscomare Road Elementary School in the hills of Bel Air." * Community Magnet Charter Elementary School, 11301 Bellagio Road. Because the school's point-based admissions system does not favor area residents, children living in Bel Air generally do not attend the school.Guzman, Stephanie. "A Look Into L.A. Unified: Community Magnet", Neon Tommy (Annenberg Digital News). University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, August 15, 2010; retrieved January 15, 2012. It is located in the former Bellagio Road School campus."Community School Proposed Relocation to Bellagio Road School Community Meeting", Community Magnet School. July 8, 2002; retrieved January 15, 2012. Roscomare Road and Warner Avenue Elementary School in Westwood are the zoned elementary schools serving Bel Air.Lesel, Helene. "A Part of the City, Yet Apart from it Too", Los Angeles Times. March 6, 2005. pg. 2; retrieved March 23, 2010. Bel Air is within the attendance boundaries of Emerson Middle School in Westwood and University High School, West Los Angeles. In April 1983 an advisory committee of the LAUSD recommended closing eight LAUSD schools, including Bellagio Road School. The committee did not target Fairburn Avenue School in Westwood, as a way of allowing it to preserve its ethnic balance, and so it can take children from Bellagio Road in the event that it closed.Faris, Gerald. "Closing of 8 Schools Recommended, One Near Airport", Los Angeles Times, April 17, 1983, South Bay SB2; retrieved January 16, 2012. In August 1983 the board publicly considered closing Bellagio, which had 240 students at the time.Pool. Bob. "Board to Consider Closing 4 More Valley Schools", August 7, 1983. Valley V2; retrieved January 16, 2012. The school's enrollment had been decreasing. In May 1983 the board voted to keep the school open. In February 1984, after the composition of the board had changed, the board voted to close the Bellagio Road School.Savage, David G. "L.A. Board to Close 5 More Schools", Los Angeles Times, February 7, 1984, Part II C2; retrieved January 16, 2012. Bel Air previously housed the Bellagio Road Newcomer School, a 3rd-8th grade school for newly arrived immigrants. In 2002 it had 390 students from Armenia, China, El Salvador, Guatemala, Korea, Russia, and other countries.Helfand, Duke and Erika Hayasaki. "$459 Million in Cuts Are Considered for Fiscally Strapped L.A. Schools." Los Angeles Times. April 26, 2002. pg. 2; retrieved on January 16, 2012. This program was housed in the former Bellagio Road school.Shuster, Beth. "PILOT PROGRAM URGED FOR 8 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS", Los Angeles Daily News. Friday, May 13, 1988, Valley News N1; retrieved January 16, 2012. Private * Marymount High School, 10643 Sunset Boulevard * Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School/Milken Community Schools, K–12, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive * John Thomas Dye School, K–6,"The John Thomas Dye School," Bel Air Association 11414 Chalon Road * The Mirman School"Where Bright Minds Can Shine", Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times, November 22, 2000 * Westland School, 16200 Mulholland Drive, was founded in 1949. It moved to its current location in 1965, becoming the first school to locate in what has now developed into a major 'institutional corridor' in the area of the Sepulveda Pass. University Bel Air is home to the American Jewish University."2 Jewish educational institutes are merging", Los Angeles Times, March 22, 2007. Notable people * Jennifer Aniston, actress * Warner Baxter, actor *Jack Benny, comedian * Wilt Chamberlain, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee * John Gilbert, actor * Alfred Hitchcock, film director * Mary Livingstone, actress and comedian * Joni Mitchell, singer-songwriterhttp://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/joni-mitchell-defends-herself-19790726 * Elon Musk, entrepreneur * Leonard Nimoy, American actor, film director, poet, singer and photographer * Chris Paul, basketball athlete * President Ronald Reagan and Nancy ReaganSanchez, Rene. "Presidential library, Bel Air streets become centers for grieving", Washington Post at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. June 6, 2004, pg 13A; retrieved January 16, 2012. * Darren Star, show and movie producer, writerMayer Rus, Darren Star's Bel Air Home, Architectural Digest, 2012 * Elizabeth Taylor, actress See also * Bel Air Fire * List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles References External links * Bel Air Association Official Website * Los Angeles City Council District 5 * "Bel Air: A part of the city, yet apart from it too" (6 Mar 2005) Los Angeles Times, Real Estate section, Neighborly Advice column. Category:Bel Air, Los Angeles Category:Neighborhoods in Los Angeles Category:Westside (Los Angeles County) Category:Settlements in the Santa Monica Mountains Category:Settlements established in 1923